The End of All We Knew and Loved
by DrKazakhstan
Summary: In this new world, we quickly learned a new philosophy. Once something is lost, you lose it permanently. Friendship, relationship, physical things, sanity, life. We were made to adapt. Made to conquer. And very soon, we would learn to move on once something was lost. Because we couldn't afford to slow down for just a moment. Everything was on the line after The Cataclysm.
1. Ruby Rose

**The End of All We Knew and Loved Chapter 1**

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 **Ruby Rose of RWBY  
**

 **Day One - 22:31:42**

 **Escaping the event known only as The Cataclysm**

 **Current Location: The wilderness south of the city of Vale**

 **Transcript Oh-One Dash One, Audio Log: Play**

* * *

 **Authors Note: The events of this story take place originally before the Vytal Festival Tournament. Everything that happened after the Festival takes place will not be apparent in this story. There will be many small details that you may have to remember in order for the story to fully make sense, so try to pay close attention. Story will alternate between third person and first person to give the reader a full experience of immersion. Audio logs will take place in first person.  
**

* * *

The only choice we had was to run. Once the emergency alarms rang out, it was escape or die. We got out of there as quick as we could. I didn't see most of us escape alive though, and those that did went different ways. Nora and Ren became separated from us as we ran. In the chaos, we ran into Jaune and had no time to talk to him about what had happened to his teammates. I was forced to hold back tears and the urge to activate my semblance. I couldn't leave my teammates behind. Professor Oobleck was already waiting at the airship pad for the remaining students. But the only students that he would find would be me, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Jaune.

We wasted no time in boarding the final airship. I kept looking back in hopes that someone else would emerge. No one did. With little knowledge of aviation, Oobleck became our new pilot. I guess we had no choice, though. A massive crack appeared in the airstrip only a few moments after we took flight. It was some kind of miracle that my whole team was still alive.

I looked back at Beacon while we flew off in a direction away from the school and the city of Vale. Beacon Tower was lopsided and on the verge of collapse. Ruins and giant cracks were everywhere. Fire ravaged the once peaceful academy. A few airships were evacuating the same as us, but I doubted that many of us actually escaped...

But the one thing that I remember the most was the amount of liquid dust was in the air. A very thick swirl of purple dust suspended above the school, emanating from a chasm behind Beacon Tower. From what Oobleck told us, if we inhaled even a tiny bit of the purple stuff, our bodies would reject it immediately and probably, maybe kill us.

Once we were flying over the forestry wilderness south of the city, Weiss explained to Jaune that Nora and Ren had run in a different direction. All we knew was that the six of us were alive. that was all.

"It'll work out in the end, Rubes. Just stay strong for us." Yang comforted me. I could see in her eyes that it was mostly for her sanity though. I remembered that as soon as we were in the air, I couldn't control my tears and sadness. We were all crying, except for Jaune who was holding back his air sickness in the corner. We calmed ourselves enough eventually. But once that happened, a new problem arose.

A bunch of flashing lights erupted all around the inside. Then Oobleck's voice rang out over the intercom: "We're having some major engine problems. I'm going to have to make an emergency landing. Brace yourselves everyone!"

We didn't have much time to brace ourselves. The ship lurched violently as metal scraped the tops of trees, quickly descending. Oobleck was doing his best to keep us from crashing hard. None of us dared to move until the ship came to a complete stop on the forest floor. Even then, we were wary. Oobleck emerged from the cockpit with a rather large bag strapped on his back.

"I hope you all located and grabbed your weaponry before we abandoned the school." Oobleck stated in a tone that felt extremely more tired then usual. I patted the hilt of Crescent Rose to assure myself that I still had it. Weiss withdrew Myrtenaster, Blake to Gambol Shroud, Yang to Ember Celica, Jaune to Crocea Mors. The first thought that came to our heads was to take our weapons. Especially me, I couldn't bare leave my sweetheart behind.

Oobleck held his thermos up and gave us a reassuring grin. He instructed for me to shoot the lock on the door behind us since the controls up front were jammed. I did as I was told and watched as the electronic lock short-circuited and released the door lock. Oobleck stepped forward and knocked the door away with a swift movement.

"Now remember, this is wilderness territory. The level of Grimm activity here is surely higher than what any of you are used to. We will need to locate shelter as soon as possible if we want to stay alive. Now follow me, and save your energy and ammunition." Oobleck began walking out into the forest. We had no choice but to let him lead us on.

We didn't encounter anything at first, but we were exposed. We were constantly on guard and were walking at a slow pace through the thick vegetation. Jaune and me took point to clear the heavy roots and bushes with our bladed weapons. It was sluggish and painful. Then we encountered a pack of Beowulves in our way. The six of us cleared them out as quick as we could.

I was starting to get hungry and tired after about thirty minutes, but I kept up my hacking and slashing. Not much later, I can remember hearing a nearby scream. It wasn't pained, but instead sounded like a battle cry. Our group rushed off in the direction of the sound and came upon some friendly faces.

Sun and Scarlet!

We knew that they were still at Beacon Academy during the...

(Hey Yang! What were you calling the whole Beacon getting destroyed thingie again? ...what? I can't hear you! ...oh, okay.)

...during The Catamuh...no, no, the cat-a-cly-sm. The Cataclysm, there we go! Okay, back to where I was.

Team SSSN were at Beacon training for the Vytal Festival and they must have been in the same situation we were. But I didn't know what they were doing out here at the time. We rescued them from a group of four giant Ursas. They seemed ecstatic to see us, which was revealed when Sun ran towards and hugged Blake. Scarlet just kind of stood there with a dorkish smile.

"We became separated from Sage and Neptune back at the Academy. A chasm opened up between us when we were escaping. There was nothing we could do." Scarlet explained to Oobleck as the reunion died down. Oobleck seemed eager to get back on track and didn't want to hear a large explanation just yet. So our group expanded from six to eight, and we returned to the course.

The sky was quickly getting darker and my limbs were sore. Oobleck was desperate to find something we could reside in for the time being. We stopped moving when he pointed out a wooden structure to the right. It was somewhat crude, but pretty big. It was centered in a large clearing and there were no Grimm surrounding it. It looked abandoned, but at least it was in a nice condition.

We shifted our efforts towards the cabin. I made one final lunge at the wicked vegetation in our path and entered the side of the clearing. As we got closer, I could see that the cabin was constructed quite recently and that it was large enough to support all of us.

"This looks like one of the forester's cabins that were put up to help lower the amount of Grimm activity surrounding the major cities and schools. If my calculations are correct, then we should be safe from all Grimm. Most of these cabins have a basement generator that sets up a barrier made of aura. Grimm can't pass through unless it's shut off. Everyone inside." Oobleck lead us all into the cabin. He immediately located the basement door and hurried down.

The seven of us huddled together in the kitchen. Well, not actually huddling. Weiss suggested we scavenge whatever we could since I was complaining about being hungry. Most of the stupid cabinets were empty but we found a few cabinets full of things like canned soups and candy bars. We piled what we found on the central counter.

Oobleck returned and told us with a relief that the generator was turned back on after he fiddled with it. With a reinvigorated attitude, he complimented us on finding a stockpile then disappeared to try and find a fireplace he could start up.

We ate as little as we could just to fill us enough. This cabin was a blessing. Everyone started off to go help Oobleck with what he was doing. Weiss and me were the last to leave. Before I could move, she grabbed my arm with a concerned look on her face.

"Ruby, we need you to be a leader more than ever now. I'm scared to lose anyone else. Circumstances aren't exactly...normal. So please, for the sake of us all, become the leader we need you to be." Her voice was serious. I nodded and we both went into the next room where a warm fire was safely blazing in the fireplace. Furniture surrounded the pit that the others were sitting in, discussing a plan of action.

"Ah, Ms. Rose and Ms. Schnee. Come join the conversation. We were just talking about what we were going to do next." Oobleck said once we entered the room. There were two windows on the far wall, one of which was noticeably broken outward. I sat on the floor after Weiss took the last available chair. We talked for a while about the future of our group.

We decided that we would make this cabin our base until the generator ran out of fuel. Oobleck estimated about fifty to sixty days. We certainly found enough food for that time period. After that, we would scavenge all that we could and traverse towards a fortified settlement in the wilderness. A map provided by the cabin gave a detailed layout of all the settlements in the area. Once we reached the settlement, we would find a way to contact a different kingdom for a rescue effort. We all agreed on the plan and started to make ourselves comfortable.

We searched each room for things such as blankets or places to rest. There were a total of five beds across three rooms. I volunteered to sleep on a sofa along with Weiss and Oobleck. At least there were three sofas...

Well, nobody went to sleep right away. I went into Yang's room to record this audio thingie so that I could track what happens until everything is...normal again. Hopefully things will be fixed soon...


	2. Chapter 2

**The End of All We Knew and Loved Chapter 2  
**

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Sirens screeched a warning that most of the students had never had the unpleasant luxury of hearing. The warning meant that extreme measures had to be taken for the safety and security of its residents. Ozpin had enacted the fallout plan as soon as he had seen the first warnings. He only hoped it wasn't too late.

"Are you sure this is the time for something like this?" Ironwood questioned Ozpin as the duo stood in the uppermost room of Beacon Tower.

"I'm putting my students in a situation of precedence. Would you believe me if I said that not everyone could make it out alive?" Ozpin replied in a worried tone. Ironwood didn't have time to answer. A twisted-sounding crack was audibly heard coming from somewhere below them. It was followed by a crunching of metal.

"We need to leave." Ozpin pushed his spectacles back into place and hurried towards the elevator. Ironwood followed without missing a beat.

"What is going on and how did you know this would happen?" He wanted answers that he knew he would most likely never get. The two of them rushed into the elevator as quick as they could and waited for it to take them to the bottom. The descent started without problems, but halfway down the building suddenly lurched forward. The elevator stopped entirely. As it did, Ozpin withdrew a handheld device and input a code into it. He scanned his thumbprint, then held the device up to a metal panel on the wall. The panel swung open on hinges and inside a small compartment were four oxygen masks.

"Put this on if you want to survive what's out there. There's nothing we can do for those already exposed." Ozpin spoke with a grave tone. He himself strapped one on as quickly as he could. Ironwood complied and followed instructions. The two men nodded to communicate they were ready. With this, Ozpin forcefully opened the elevator door. The sight in front of them was otherworldly.

There was no life to be seen. Fires ravaged the floor and thick plumes of an unnatural purple dust cloud swirled up from chasms and cracks in the floor. Some of the cracks were enormous already, and growing still. A signpost that hung above them read that they were on the seventeenth floor.

"How are we going to reach the stairwell?" Ironwood shouted rapidly. He was hoping his colleague would know a way through his burning tower. Ozpin simply nodded in a direction to their right that looked relatively free of destruction. They hurried as quick as they could through the narrow pathway. As they cleared the journey to the opposite side of the floor where the emergency stairwell was located, a giant steel beam crashed down somewhere behind them, blocking the way back with flames and debris.

They wasted no time in entered the reinforced stairwell. No fire, no gaps, no purple dust, and little smoke. Ironwood and Ozpin had to be light on their feet. It was bad enough that Ozpin had waited this long to escape, but from what he had seen, all of this had happened in less than five minutes. It was exactly what he had feared.

All around them, they heard screams and shouts for help. Help that they would not receive. The unlucky were doomed from the moment they were caught in this situation. The headmaster and general were forced to block out the noise. They only focused on reaching the bottom where they could spread out to other buildings at the academy and find students and staff that could still benefit from getting help.

Out of nowhere, an explosion rocked the foundation of the tower. All noise had ceased for about half a second. The two men did not slow their pace for a moment until they reached the bottom. They shot out of the stairwell and were greeted to the ruinous scene of what was once the lobby. The gruesome amount of death had forced them to finally stop. But it was in those instants that they were to be separated.

"Ozpin watch-!" Ironwood started to say as the floor ripped open a new chasm, spanning a distance of several feet in just seconds. The tear had expanded wall-to-wall, sickeningly crawling up the walls and sawing the building in half completely. Ironwood was on the side the door was on. Ozpin was not.

"Go! Get out of here! Find team RWBY and make sure they survive this! Now!" The orders were specific. Ironwood turned and ran out the open doorway. Right before he exploded into the open air, a tattered white glove fell and was left in his wake.

* * *

Neptune saw two things. The first was a basement-like room, about knee-deep in dark water while a rattling sprinkler system ran. The other was a curtain of viscous blood on the left side of his face. He couldn't move, but he felt very little pain. He tried to move his left arm to his face but felt he couldn't lift it. After attempting to move more, he found that it was completely detached from his body. He wanted to scream but his voice choked. He looked wildly around but no one was in sight.

He looked up and saw a huge gaping hole in the ceiling. That was where he fell when he had been separated from his team. He used what little strength he had left to flail around in the water, trying his best to get out of it. Hydrophobia among fear where setting in fast. With his right arm, he dragged himself to a large chunk of flooring that was just above the waterline.

He collapsed instantly, trying to figure out what other parts of his body were missing. With limited vision, he could make out where his feet where supposed to be. His left foot was gone. He should have died. But where his shoulder should have been bleeding where his arm had been cut off at was nothing. It was completely cauterized. He couldn't tell if the same had happened to his foot.

Neptune stared upwards for what seemed like an eternity. He couldn't feel anything, couldn't speak, and could barely move. He might as well be better off dead. Then something blocked his view. It was a person standing over top of him. Torn white clothing, slightly messy black hair, extending an arm towards the boy. Neptune made a decision for himself to use all the energy he had left to grab the extended hand with his right.

"You'll be okay. I can ensure your safety." A voice sounded out, ringing in Neptune's head. It was most likely a result of his injuries that he heard it the way he did. It seemed to come from nowhere but everywhere at once. The hand he grabbed no longer felt human. It was almost cold and metallic.

Ironwood did his best to hold Neptune up, finding it most appropriate to sling the boy over his back to take the weight off of his fatal injuries. Neptune just let it happen, believing the general's calming words.

"We're going to a place to fix you up. It's the same place I built a robotic girl. Everything will work itself out."

Ironwood was finding it hard to believe his own words, however. He climbed out of the rubble and destruction, working as fast as possible to avoid what was coming next, yet he had to be gentle or Neptune could fade away to death's welcoming grip. It was a menial task, but Ironwood accomplished it. A quick scan of the upper floor provided what he had already assumed. No one else would make it if they were still here. He turned and ran, still carrying Neptune on his back.

Meanwhile, Neptune's vision in his right eye was slowly becoming less and less blurred. He saw fire, crumbling walls, and smoke. But there was also a quickly descending purple cloud. It seemed that his savior was trying to outrun it. He could care less with his current condition. He just rested his head against Ironwood's back and allowed himself to lose consciousness.

There were three airships that had yet to take to the skies. Ironwood made his way to the largest of the ships, the one that would secure his journey to Atlas. He propped Neptune's limp unconscious self against the side of the ship as carefully as he could. Then he proceeded to rap on the door to let his presence be known. A gruff voice from inside told Ironwood to wait a moment. Ironwood was antsy that his own ship was nowhere to be seen, but the impending doom made him no less comfortable with waiting. His vision turned to the skies over the school.

The tower was leaning, already split in half. But something else caught his eye. It was a ship attempting to fly over the purple cloud and destruction. It seemed like it would make it, but right as it began to dip into the dust cloud, a massive flame engulfed the entire hull of the airship. The cloud of dust wasn't only poisonous to organic life, but it responded to metal as well. In just moments, the ship was tearing itself apart and crash landing right into the center of the ruins.

"General! Get on board, now! Before whatever that is reaches us!" The voice was demanding, but Ironwood had no time to tell the man to stand down. The urgency of the situation trumped merit and rank. Ironwood picked Neptune back up and rushed into the belly of the airship. There was a crowd of people that had made it to safety in time, most of them either breaking down or comforting others. The door closed and the journey upward started.

This was nothing like what Ironwood had ever seen before. And Ozpin was nowhere to give him much needed answers. He would just have to figure things out for himself. Get to Atlas with Neptune Vasilias, locate Mr. Schnee, then fix the boy up. Once the short list was complete, he would work on more long-term goals. But for now, it was just him and the huntsman-in-training. There was no need for him to die, at least not yet. Ironwood took up a spot near a window and stared out, swelling on the situation that stood before him.

"There's much work to be done..."


	3. Weiss Schnee

**The End of All We Knew and Loved Chapter 3**

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Weiss Schnee of RWBY

Day Two -12:59:12

Determining the next plan of action.

Current Location: Huntsman Cabin in the southern part of the wilderness

Transcript Oh-One Dash Three, Audio Log: Play

* * *

(Ruby, please, I don't want to-

Why do you think I want-

I'm not going to play these childish games. This is serious. I am not-

You stubborn dunce...don't shove that thing in my face!

You're a real pain sometimes...fine.)

My name is Weiss Schnee of the Schnee Dust Company and Team RWBY. Last night was the most eventful scene I've ever had the misfortune to be caught in the middle of. At least we got out alive.

None of us got much sleep the previous night, and it's not hard to see why. It was a traumatic experience for all of us. I managed to give myself a little bit of beauty sleep, but it didn't last very long. I only recently woke up.

I walked out of my room to find no one else awake. Curious, I quickly dressed myself and grabbed Myrtenaster. I'm not as obsessed with it as Ruby is with her own weapon, but I am proud of the beautiful rapier. I very quietly opened the front door so as not to disturb anyone and stepped outside. The front porch of the small, feeble structure was starting to rot away. I was more accustomed to a better lifestyle than this, so I hated it. It looked very prone to collapse. I hopped off of it and into the grass, but it wasn't much better. The blades tickled my ankles. I sighed and reminded myself that this was the only place we had right now.

I was startled by a sudden low growl coming from the woods. I couldn't see much beyond the extent of the clearing, but it was definitely the sound of a Grimm nearby. Professor Oobleck mentioned that the clearing was protected by a generator. I had to trust him on that.

I raised my weapon and got closer to the edge of the clearing. I could hear the growl again, this time much louder. My foot touched a small stone hidden in the grass. An idea formed itself in my head and I picked up the stone. It was rather heavier than I originally thought but it would do. I tossed the stone towards where the growls came from and instantly, a monster jumped from the shadows and swiped the stone away. It had leaped directly from the bushes in front of me and towards the clearing. I forgot about the barrier and prepared to fight the dark figure. But as it left the protection of the trees, it hit the barrier and fell the ground in a disheveled heap. A few seconds passed and it was mere dust in the wind. I lowered Myrtenaster and inspected the area where the barrier was.

It was invisible at first, but after the Grimm launched itself at it, a faint spherical shape appeared, covering the clearing and the cabin. It was pinkish in color. I ran my hand over it and suddenly I felt a warm feeling inside of me. It actually made me giggle a little. Then I reached the exact spot the creature had hit the barrier. It was level with my head and I could see a small crack in the flawless surface. An imperfection.

It made me worry that the barrier wasn't up to standards to protect us. I knew we had to eventually leave this cabin, since no one was looking for us, but I didn't want to leave too soon. It was safe, but now…

The crack made a small grinding noise and expanded slightly. It would only get bigger, and if more creatures found their way here, they would weaken the barrier enough to break it. I had to tell everyone else once they woke up. I had turned towards the cabin, but stopped and flinched when I heard another much louder growl. It had come from my left, which I guess is a good thing I'm left-handed. I slowly walked over to where I heard the sound and without hesitation, I passed through the protective barrier. I wanted to lure the creature towards the barrier and with the help of Myrtenaster and the destructive power of the force field, destroy it.

My eyesight was weak in the darkness but the morning sunlight had given me just enough light to see where I was stepping and just far enough to where I could spot a monster before it could charge me. I poked the bushes and around trees, lightly prodding anything that was out of sight. I made sure to stay very close to the barrier, watching the faint pink glow extremely cautiously.

As soon as I heard a noise, I spun around quickly to make sure it was a creature of Grimm. That was almost a grave mistake. A massive dark claw nearly struck me as I leaped backwards and directly in front of the barrier. I positioned myself to strike as I watched the beast grow closer. Just a few more steps and…

"MS. SCHNEE!"

A very grabby hand had attached to me from behind and violently pulled me into the force-field. As soon as I was inside, the Grimm lunged and immediately disintegrated. My eyes grew wide as the event unfolded before me within mere seconds. I spun on a dime and was met with the unapproving face of Oobleck.

"Foolish child, you could have gotten yourself killed! What are doing out here at such an early-" I had to cut him off.

"There's a crack in the barrier. Over there." I pointed in the direction of where I had found the discrepancy.

(Ruby, what does this red flashing light mean? Oh wonderful. Low battery. Well, I suppose that means it's about time to wrap this up.)

Oobleck and myself strolled to the location I pointed out and I allowed my fingers to graze over the imperfection. Oobleck inspected it closer and seemed lost in the mesmerizing glow.

"This is not good. The dust protecting this lodge must have been severely lessened or weakened somehow. We will need to find a small cache of excess dust somewhere close by if we are to repair this damage. We must act fast." Oobleck picked up his pace and seemed to be back into his normal erratic self again. I stood with my back to the forest and watched as he disappeared into the cabin.

I wasn't sure if I was meant to wait or follow him. All I could do was sigh and look around. There wasn't much around and it bored me eventually. Upon realizing my legs were beginning to lock up, I started to walk. It was no particular direction. My legs were becoming less cramped and I felt more relaxed because of it. My gaze refocused and I looked at where I was going.

It was very peculiar since I hadn't been on this side of the cabin yet. Built into the ground, up against the lodge, was a tiny trapdoor and rusted padlock. The padlock looked busted and opened just slightly enough that I could easily pry it off. Before reaching for it, however, I remembered that my epidermal perplexity was not meant for menial labor tasks such as this one. I wouldn't want to ruin my perfect skin and nails, after all. My curiosity subsided and I looked around to find the front entrance to the cabin. A few short steps and I was back on the porch. The rickety flooring still made me uncomfortable. I returned inside the peasant's adobe and watched my friends either start to wake up or get used to being awake. Oobleck was nowhere to be found.

(Okay Ruby, you're the genius here, how does this thing turn off. What do you mean the red light is flashing faster? Oh, I see what you mean. Does that mean that it's almost…)


	4. Chapter 4

The End of All We Knew and Loved Chapter 4

A sleek black shoe stepped forward and fell flat onto part of a broken bottle of alcohol and cobblestone. A small burst of wind swept over the roadway and carried with it bits of paper and other light objects left behind. The landscape that lay before the man was startling. Buildings were missing massives chunks and even whole floors. The streets were cracked and littered with junk. A thick ominous cloud hung low, darkened to blot out all light. This was the city of Vale.

A single streetlight with a broken bulb flickered as though deciding whether it wanted to be on or off. That was the only real light the man could see throughout the small of the city he was in. He took a few more steps and peeked into a building that seemed less touched by the destruction. He strolled inside and took a glance around.

It was a small room. In front of him was a bar table complete with bar stools and a rack of alcohols behind it. A tiny cracked television hung in the corner. It sparked a few times but that was all it did. The man took a seat at the only bar stool that remained standing upright. He sighed and remembered the familiarity of the place, the Crow Bar.

He withdrew his personal scroll and opened it.

"Low battery? I could have sworn that I made sure it was charged. Stupid cheap equipment." He muttered to himself, quickly moving through the devices systems. He tried to call Ozpin first.

The scroll vibrated a few times then canceled the call. That meant that Ozpin was unreachable.

"Just great. First Vale goes to hell, now Oz is gone." He continued to complain to himself. Nothing was going his way. He stood up and hopped the counter. Without hesitation, he examined the rack of alcohols and looked for anything labeled whiskey. Bottom right, second shelf up.

He snatched a bottle and popped the top. The drink would calm his nerves, at least he hopped it would. He downed half the bottle before stopping and placing the bottle on the counter.

"Now then...what am I supposed to do?" He spoke out loud. As far as he knew, he was the only one there. He looked out at the street from his place behind the bar. Nobody still. The man scratched his head and stepped out into the street, splashing a tiny puddle with his foot. The entire atmosphere around him was bleak and dark. He sighed and walked down the street, past the flickering light. In the far distance, he could see the looming spires of what he once knew as Beacon Academy.

Qrow Branwen racked his head for an explanation for what had happened. He arrived in the city after everything had already happened and settled down. There was no one to greet him, no one to wonder who he was, and no one to question his sudden arrival. The only person he could think of contacting was Ozpin but that was out of the question now. But where there was Ozpin, there was always someone else…

"Oh no...my niece!" Qrow picked up his pace and rushed through the streets, deciding to take the only convenient route to Beacon- by air. He felt the mysterious power inside him stir and within seconds, he warped into the familiar avian creature he was named for. He needed to make sure Ruby was alive.

He tore through the gentle wind as the ever-ominous towers of Beacon grew closer. Within a few short minutes, he saw ground beneath him. He wasted no time in changing himself back to humankind. Touching down on the shattered concrete of the academy, Qrow didn't stop for a second. The only thing on his mind now was Ruby. He continued to race for the main building. A thin and quickly dissipating layer of purple dust hung in the air. It wasn't concentrated enough to affect Qrow, though, and he knew he was fine. From his few visits to the school, he learned the basic blueprints of every building on campus, including the dorm rooms. He reached the building and quickly flung the door open.

"Hey, if anyone's still alive in here, I can get you out!" Qrow yelled, hoping that if he heard any voice, it wasn't Ruby's or Yang's. Silence fell into the empty space after the echoes grew faint. Qrow reached into his pocket and withdrew a handheld flashlight, promptly turning it on to illuminate the dark building. He decided to search the floors one at a time. The staircase looked rather collapsed on itself. Qrow frowned since it was the only way up.

"Well that's great." He mumbled before inspecting the downed staircase more closely. He discovered that it was possible to use the debris to his advantage and vault himself up to the second floor. The only thing he worried about was that the debris could be unstable. With carefully footing, Qrow launched himself on top of the pile of wood and stone. Using the wall to balance himself, he judged the height and distance of his next jump to reach the edge of the next floor. Once he felt comfortable with his calculations, he propelled himself to the ledge, grasping it with hands and forearms. He hauled himself to his feet with minimal effort.

"Well, that wasn't too hard. But isn't Ruby's room on the...third...floor…" Qrow had just brushed himself off before groaning and rolling his eyes. He turned around and looked up. At least the top part of the third floor staircase was still intact. He backed himself up a few paces and prepared to do something he knew he would probably regret. With a running start, he jumped towards the third floor. But as soon as his foot left the floor, the wood gave away and he slipped, causing him to fall just short. He managed to catch the splintered wood with his right hand, the rest of his body dangling. Wasting no time hanging around, he reached upwards and pulled himself up. First his upper body, then his legs. He climbed the last part of the staircase he had grabbed a hold of and felt himself safely on the third floor. He turned around towards the hall of rooms before him. Just as he did, a loud creaking followed by a crash told him that the staircase was no more. He smiled to himself for having such good fortune. Without hesitation, he started searching the rooms one-by-one, turning up nothing. Team SLVR, Team HAZL, Team SKYE. Each room was clearly labeled by a dulling nameplate. The room up ahead read Team JNPR. The door was shut tight, which was odd considering that every door he had seen so far either no longer existed or was wide open.

Qrow grabbed the handle and shook it. It was locked, from the inside. He stared at the door for a few seconds. No noise came from inside. Qrow withdrew his sword, holding it in front of him. He wanted to know what was behind that door. With a swift uppercut slash, he broke the hinges and the door fell away from Qrow. He could do nothing except stand there, shocked to see a young woman sitting on the bed with her hands covering her face. She seemed to be in the position one would assume if they were sobbing, yet she made no sound.

"Uh...hey there…" Qrow awkwardly tried to greet the girl. She didn't stir. Qrow took a few paces into the room. As soon as she noticed that this intruder was in her room, she bolted for her weapon laying beside her. In just a few short seconds. Qrow was staring down the barrel of a yellow and reddish-orange rifle.

"Don't touch me!" The girl was erratic. Qrow put his weapon away on his back and raised his hands in an action of peace.

"I won't touch you. In fact, I won't even come any closer. I'm just here to make sure that my niece got out alive. Little red ball of energy, wears a cape." Qrow slowly spoke so as not to scare the young woman any more than she already was. She immediately recognized the description.

"R-Ruby?" She lowered her weapon slightly.

"That's the one! You know her?" Qrow felt himself getting excited.

"She's...not here...but she's not dead, as far as I know." The woman dropped her weapon back on the bed.

"Thank you, that's a relief. My name is Professor Qrow, I come from Signal Academy. Would you mind telling me everything you know? I promise I'll get you outta here." Qrow very slowly edged himself forward and sat on the bed beside the woman. She faced forward, not wanting to make eye contact.

"Pyrrha. Nikos. When we heard the sirens, our team leader told me to stay here. He said he was going to find someone. A-A teacher or anyone, to get us out. The rest of my team got impatient and left. But I waited. I truly believed he was coming back. But then I felt a tremor and blacked out. When I woke up, I locked the door and waited. I waited for him to come back, for someone to come back." The more Pyrrha talked, the easier it got for her to say the words. She explained everything as she could remember.

"And then I showed up. What's your team leader's name? Maybe I've heard the name, or at least can help you look for him." Qrow suggested, placing a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder to comfort her. He had forgotten about the no-touching rule, but she had as well.

"Jaune Arc. Tall. Scraggly. Blonde." Pyrrha simply described him. Qrow scratched his chin then shook his head.

"Sorry. Anyway, one last thing before we get out of here, where's my niece's room?" Pyrrha pointed across the hall and Qrow thanked her. He stood up and walked over to the empty room across from the current one. The nameplate read Team RWBY.

"Yup, this is hers." Qrow said to himself upon noticing the suspended bed. He made his way over to a dresser that had Ruby's sleep mask resting on it. Behind the mask were two things. A small black book with no writing on the cover and a photograph on top of it. Qrow picked the photograph up and studied the four figures.

"There's Ruby, a white one, a ninja girl, and Yang. Team RWBY. I like it, it's got a ring." Qrow swooned, sliding the photograph into his vest pocket. He picked the book up as well and concealed it. It would be important later. He crossed the hall and knocked on the doorframe.

"Can you stand?" Qrow asked once Pyrrha looked up. She rose to her feet on unstable footing.

"Yeah, I think." Her voice was light, but at least confident. She made sure to grab Miló and Akoúo̱ before leaving the room with Qrow.

He walked in front of her, holding his flashlight so that they could both see the path ahead. A thought bounced around in Qrow's head, however. How were they going to get down?

"Wait." Qrow simply commanded, stopping in front of the destroyed staircase. She obeyed, curiously as to why since she was unable to see ahead.

"What's happening?" She innocently asked.

"Uh...quick question, what's your semblance?" Qrow intercepted Pyrrha, asking a much more important question.

"Polarity...why?" She answered slowly, unsure of why this professor wanted to know.

"Your shield, it's made of metal, correct? This may just work…" Qrow formulated an idea, stepping aside to allow Pyrrha to see the hole in the building where the stairs once were. She gasped upon seeing the destruction.

"Put your shield on the ground right there, stand on top of it, and use your semblance to control where it goes. Kinda like a hoverboard. I knew a girl who liked hoverboards." Qrow instructed, reminiscing of his trip to other schools when he met a green haired girl with a hoverboard. Pyrrha did as she was instructed and stood daintily on her shield. Qrow watched and figured that she wouldn't have enough aura left to use her semblance that long.

"Hey Nikos, hold this." Qrow pulled out a specialized purple crystal and tossed it to Pyrrha. She caught it with a puzzled look on her face.

"Look, don't question it. It'll enhance her aura long enough for you to descend." Qrow stated, preparing himself to morph into his crow form. Pyrrha held the crystal tightly in her clenched fist and activated her semblance. She directly it towards her shield and felt herself rising slightly. The power was exhausting, so she was quick to direct her 'hoverboard' to the hole and descend. Qrow smiled and transformed himself, flapping himself down the same route to land safely on the rubble below. Back to the first floor, safe and sound. Pyrrha dropped the crystal and fell forward. Qrow changed back to human just in time to catch her.

"Alright, let's get you back to civilization." Qrow spoke to the unconscious girl in his arms, picking up her shield and fitting it in its place behind her rifle. He proceeded to carry her bridal style out into the open air, unsure of what to do next. He now had several goals. Get Pyrrha back to her team, find Team RWBY, find Ozpin, and now because of his discovery of the black book, find his sister.


	5. Jaune Arc

**The End of All We Knew and Loved Chapter 5**

 **Jaune Arc of JNPR**

 **Day Two - 14:31:08**

 **Personally reflecting what he's lost, awaiting orders from Oobleck**

 **Current Location: Huntsman's Cabin, Wilderness**

 **Transcript Oh-One Dash Five, Audio Log: Play**

* * *

Hey, uh, it's me, Jaune. Heh...uh, things haven't been very pleasant recently. I lost everyone else in my team. And Pyrrha…

OH MY GOSH PYRRHA! No, no, no, what if she's dead because of me? Oh god…

I told her to stay because I was going to get help. I ran into Oobleck and he immediately grabbed my hand.

"Jaune, you're coming with me." He hurriedly told me over the noise of the sirens. He pulled me with him and I didn't have a chance to tell him to go back because right then, a giant chasm tore itself right behind me, between us and the dormitory. I think I saw Ren and Nora escape as we were running…

We found Team RWBY shortly after and the six of us boarded one of the last airships. I calmed myself by saying that Pyrrha had made it out a different way...but I flat out just told her to stay. I might as well have told her to go die…

At least I'm alive. That's a good thing, right? We found this neat little cabin and everything. But this morning, Oobleck came in from outside and told us about some kind of disturbance in the forcefield protecting us from Grimm. He was going to try and find a way to get more dust for the generator powering this whole place. I was reluctant to volunteer for the mission, but I decided that I should just do it so I can say I pulled my weight. The mission can't be that hard, can it? I mean, I can kind of fight. Pyrrha was teaching me how to do it properly. Though without her here, I don't know what I'll do. I can always just ask Ruby or someone to protect me, I guess.

Earlier this morning, I asked Oobleck what he thought happened to Beacon. His response kinda creeped me out.

"Have you ever heard the story of the Nightingale Apocalypse? The legends tell us that years ago, way before the Great War, a mysterious event took place in the Empire of Nevergrimm. The entire disaster took only twenty minutes before the whole Empire was covered in chasms and scars that would never heal. Its people, dead. Several reports go on to say that a thick poisonous purple cloud erupted from the cracks. Within a day, it was gone. Only destruction and a ruined state remained. It was called the Nightingale Apocalypse from there on. I believe Ozpin knew that it would happen, he only didn't know when." The professor told me before disappearing down into the basement. It only created more questions for me.

I can vaguely recall seeing the Empire of Nevergrimm on a map before, way to the north. It was part of what was once a fifth kingdom. Of course, it no longer stood today, but from what Oobleck had told us in history class one day, it boasted the best anti-Grimm defenses. I never knew that this apocalypse thing was part of the reason why it fell.

Well, I had better pull myself together and get ready for the mission Oobleck wants to go on. I hope I don't die…

* * *

Good news, I didn't die! Oh, whoops, uh, Jaune here again. I'm back from the mission Oobleck had me go on with him. Well, things didn't go as accordingly.

Before we headed out, he told me that we were searching a nearby cave he spotted on our way in. Once inside, we were suppose to collect dust crystals. They would be the power source for the generator until a more permanent solution could be found. He also explained that simply using more liquid dust to fuel the generator, since that's all we had, would only cause the generator to malfunction and we could possibly lose our shield. I was the first out the door, a large gust of fresh air hit me immediately. It made me forget our predicament. At least until Oobleck charged out from behind me with that stupid grin on his face that told me we were going to get ourselves into trouble.

"While we're out, the others will be housekeeping." He explained while we approached the edge of the forcefield. I could barely see it, but the glowing sphere was there. Oobleck passed through as though it was nothing. Call me pathetic, but I was cautious, in case it thought I was a Grimm.

I followed the professor through the thick trees, holding my weapon up for if a Grimm decided to attack. Oobleck didn't seem all that concerned about the monsters, casually strolling over roots and around thick trunks. Occasionally, a bush or something got in our way, so he had me cut it away. He told me the cave was close by, but it didn't feel like it. All I could see was forest and trees. Maybe a clearing or two, but nothing major.

At long last, the cave was in sight. It wasn't really a cave, though. I personally thought it looked more like a tiny hole in the side of a rather ominous-looking pile of rocks. It was pitch black inside.

"Here, I'll light the way. But stay close, we have no idea what's inside." Oobleck stated the obvious. I felt courageous, being selected for guard duty. He immediately drew out his thermos and sparked it to life. Of course, only Oobleck would choose to wield a flamethrower thermos.

We entered, one after the other, or more namely me after him. It was a rather tight squeeze until we got further inside. The fire Oobleck kept ablaze lit the way and we could see that the cave definitely got deeper and wider, but darker and scarier.

"Jaune. Do you see any crystals?" He asked in a hushed voice. I mimicked him, not wanting to unnecessarily create any noise.

"All I see are rocks. And every once in awhile I'll hear a scuttling sound." I felt the need to address that there may be bugs crawling around. My mom always said...nevermind.

"Then we have to keep going. I don't know if we'll be able to find another cave like this." He seemed intent, much to my own dismay. We only took a few steps before he spoke again.

"Ah, Jaune, I meant to ask you earlier but never got a chance. How close to your father were you?" It seemed like an awkwardly personal question, but I gave the best answer I could.

"He wasn't home much. I guess if he was I would have impressed upon him a lot more instead of becoming, well, this." He seemed to take my response into consideration.

"Interesting. I've heard stories of your father. He became a huntsman, yes?" Oobleck's question almost seemed rhetorical.

"Uh, yeah. He was an amazing fighter." I tried to recall an earlier memory of when I was with him.

"The stories tell well then. Mr. Arc, it's a pleasure to have you as my student, and if you're anything at all like your father…" He seemed to glow with pride, but never got to finish the thought. A distant roar grabbed our attention. It came from the dark reaches of the cave, right where we were about to tread. Great.

"Dig in, Jaune. This is going to have to be dealt with." Oobleck offered, holding his flame higher. It didn't do much to illuminate the way ahead, but at least my eyes were adapting. Naturally, I couldn't remember what kind of Grimm that roar belonged to. I quickly found out.

A bulky and awkwardly heavy Deathstalker burst into our line of sight, causing myself to duck to the side. Lucky for me, a stone was there to create an obstacle between me and the Grimm. I sat up against it, peeking around the side. Oobleck was already launching flames at the giant creature. I rolled my eyes and decided I might as well try to help. I withdrew Crocea Mors and propelled myself forward.

My path was cut off by the tail of this Deathstalker, but I instantly began slashing at its weaker parts. Beneath the armour plating, the darker areas. For a thing that big, I was surprised at how fast it moved. It turned to face me and let out a terrifying hiss that made me freeze in place momentarily. Oobleck came running from my right side and the both of us silently agreed that we needed to lure it out into the open, outside where we could see. I shook my head and followed the professor while the Deathstalker chased us, again, very surprisingly fast. I see now how Ruby's speed could have helped here.

We burst out from the entrance of the cave and suddenly, a very vivid state of deja vu hit me.

This kinda feels just like Initiation day, when I found that relic and it turned out to not be a relic… I remembered as I turned around and watched the Grimm erupt from the side of the mountain, raining stones and pebbles, releasing another roar. This thing really seemed to hate us. I don't blame him, I mean Oobleck was launching fireballs at him, and, and…

Sorry, that was sort of off topic, uh…

I took a defensive stance and held my shield up to protect myself from a frontal attack. When I pushed the creature off of me, I followed up with an uppercut swipe, successfully landing a nice heavy blow to the Deathstalker's face. Oobleck wasted no time in hitting the spot I struck with a well-timed flame attack. The monster recoiled, giving us time to finish it off. Oobleck allowed me to step up and deliver the finishing blow and oh man, the feeling of victory I felt was unmatched by anything I've ever felt before. I almost wanted to laugh as the Deathstalker faded into dust. My moment was interrupted when Oobleck placed a hand on my shoulder.

"This is only a shallow victory. Remember, we didn't find any dust crystals. That means I'll have to figure out another way to overclock the generator." I wasn't going to let his words spoil my mood, however. The both of us walked back to the cabin the same way we came. Although we just killed a massive freakin' Grimm, that didn't mean the others would back off. I heard a low rumble every so often, but our luck lasted the entire journey back home. Well, if you could call it a home. Our home away from home.

And well, here I am. Still alive. At least for now. Never mind that, I'm confident we'll get help. We have to.


End file.
